Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-25
XXTH LEGISLATURE.
The Senate Passes to Third Reading
the House Resolution to Vote on O
Prohibitory Amendment.
The Friends of the Railway Commission
Bill to Ask tor a Vote on the Meas
ure in the House To-Day.
THE SENATE.

AUSTIN, TEX, FEB. Ex-senator Hous-
ton introduced bill regulating the pur-
chase. ownership or conveyance of lands
by domestic and foreign corporations.
By Senator GlassCoCk, bill amending
the state Sunday law.
Senator Jarvis for the finance commit
tee, made several reports, among them
favorably to require occupation tax re-
ceipts to be posted st the place OF bust
ness OF the persons using them; favor
ably, TO appOinta commissioner to report
to the Legislature The necessary changes
in the interest of economy in the manage
ment of the various state institutions.
Judiciary committee No. =, through
Senator Bell, returned the liquor license
bill and recommended its reference to
the finance committee.
Senators Alien aud Gregg favored and
Senators Bell and Lane opposed the bill,
making speeches.
Adjourned to 3 p. m.
Az the morning session, petitions We're
offered as follows: b. Senator Garrison,
from the citizens Of Rusk scounty, praying
Tor an industrial school for colored citi-
zans.
By Seuator Glssscock, ITO prohibit
places of business being kept open on
Sunday.
The discussion on the railroad commits
sion bill was resumed, the pending qnes-
ton being the engrOssment of the bill
Senator Bell made 6 very able speech
against the bill, saying there was no pop
ular demand for such legislation, at least
there was none from his people. He al
oD
favored the bill We're from districts girded
by railroads, and those who opposed it
were generally from sections having no
road His section and the western por-
ton Of the state wanted railroads and they
feared that the bill would retard them be-
ing built. and therefore he opposed it
He referred TO It's nconStitutionality and
held that IS the constitution had made 1t
imperative upon the Legislature to enact
laws to regulate laws, this authority can
not be transferred to board of three men.
He showed that the companies had con-
structed their roads under the ConStitu-
ton and laws, and that it would be 8
bresch Of contract to change them and
create q commission. The western por-
ton wanted roads, but the people of that
section feared this bill would prevent or
reta!d their construction. AS TO the cry
that the railroads were oppressive, he de-
manCed to know where and when the
railroads. mad ever injured the state. He
argued that he was ready and willing to
enact laws to II gulate the railroads and
to break up the pooling business as re-
CURED by the constitution. He was anX-
ious TO do so.
Senator Lane said he came here i'm
pressed with the idea that railroad
commission was a necessity and he
favored one, but since then he had
changed his opinion. He had heard able
arguments upon the subject and he
had changed his opinion and he now
believed that commission would be
= detrimental to the best interest of the
state. He made an able argument show
ing that the Legislature had the
power to regulate the roads and COM
mission was not necessary He held that
the Attorney General was charged with
the duty and he had authority to enforce
the law against the railroads, and if he
did not or could not, how could
the commission? If the railroads were
committing abuses, then the Legislature
should pass laws to correct them. The
: Legislature could under the constitution
fix maximums for each class of freight as
well as the commission. He referred to
the charges made that kilograms had
been received opposing the bill, and said
he had received eight, some from mer-
chants and others from farmers of Bas-
> trop county, all opposing the bill.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
, The House bill extending the time OF
payment of the purchase money for lands
purchased under the act of 1874, passed
: The bill changing the time of holding
l court in Hardin passed with an amend,
ment, inc uding Liberty county.
The bill to establish the western boun-
dairy of Edwards county, passed.
The hill to amend the charter of the
: city of Dallas passed.
J House Joint resolution No. =, prOvid-
Z ing for submitting prohibition amend
fTment to the constitution, was taken up.
:. Senator Pope moved to amend By
changing the time of voting for the
amendment from August, 1887, TO the
dav of the next general election in 1883
Senators Burgess, Pope, Lsre and
Glssscock spoke in favor Of the amend
ment and against the resolution.
Senators Allen, Bell, Calhoun, Houston
and McManus spoke in favor of the reso-
luton.
Senator Harrison moved to lay the
amendment on tine table. Carried-yeas,
t Is; nays, 10. The resolution then passed
to third reading-yeas, 10; nays, 9.
? Senator Frank introduced bill TO Gre
ate state board of arbitration.
> Senator Lane introduced a bill author
. ling the appointment of stenographers
! for the District courts of the state.
Senator Armistead introduced bill to
amend the asylum law so as to require
the steward OF the Lunstic Asylum to
give bond in the sum Of $4,000, and pro,
viding that the board Of managers shall
elect superintendent on nominations
made by the Governor.
, Senator Burney introduced q JOINT res
Z olution amending the constitution so as to
provide for registering notes in cities OF
over l0, 900 inhabits1 is.
The joint resolution amending section
-, article ., of the constitution relative
to taxation in the unorganized counties
was passed to third reading.
THE HOUSE.
The pending business which came over
from yesterday was the substitute bill fol-
several bills amending the road law. The
discussion on the road law was inter-
rupted by the arrival of the hour for the
discussion of the railroad commission
bill, and the House refused to adopt the